Chronicles of a Dimension Hopper
by Psychos-Anonymous
Summary: Full summary inside. P.A. Black is a girl from the year 2391 A.D. who is suddenly thrown into a dimension with her android partner and stuck there. The odd thing about the dimension is it is filled with alchemists. Uber long OneShot.


P.A.: Hahahaha. I finally do an FMA fic. I'm so weird. You all probably think I'm slacking off. In truth I've been writing original fiction like crazy! I really need to update my fanfiction though... I'm working on Tsuki Takes Over right now. It's almost done...

**Full Summary**: P.A. Black is the daughter of a resistance movement leader in the year 2391 A.D. The resistance is against the high-class society that fled to the skies after the destruction of earth's terrain during World War VI. The earth has been abandoned for nearly a century by all those who could afford the expenses of living above the clouds. Their resistance is a force to be reckoned with for their advancement in the use of offensive technology beyond that of the Sky Dwellers' military force. They have the ability to rip apart the space/time barriers and travel between dimensions. But on a perfectly normal day at the American East Coast Base on the remains of New York City, something goes wrong and she ends up in a dimension filled with Alchemists.

**Warnings**: None.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA.

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"Kenkou!" P.A. called, walking through into the mad scientists makeshift lab. She sidestepped a few of her fellow rebels, waving at them cheerfully. They looked very unprofessional at the moment because they were moving their base farther inland to the remains of Columbus, Ohio.

Well... they always looked unprofessional, she mused to herself, stepping over some boxes. Since they lived down on the earth's surface they had little to go by in means of uniforms. Everyone just grabbed what he or she could find and wore it. She herself wore some baggy jeans much too large for her, whom she secured with a white piece of cloth, and they piled at her ankles and nearly engulfed her ratty neon green converse. She also had a tank top she made herself which said "Evil is Sexy" on the front. Over that she had a long, cream colored, trench coat-like sweater.

"Kenkou?" She called again, adjusting her trademark rose-tinted sunglasses. The daughter of the resistance leader was never seen without her glasses on. They weren't normal sunglasses either. When they could get up into the cloud cities unnoticed they stole technology. These glasses could sense heat signatures, ultraviolet light, X-Ray vision, night vision, zoom in features, allow her to see rips in the space/time barriers, and they looked awesome to boot.

"Over here, P.A.!" The white-haired genius called.

P.A. skipped over to the operating table they stole from a hospital and sat on a stool near it. She looked at the cloth-covered table for a few moments before looking at the man with a grin. "What new technology do you have for me today?"

Kenkou gave her an identical grin before talking rapidly "I've been working on this for _years_! I finally finished it last night. It's so amazing!"

"What is it?" P.A. asked, leaning forward in excitement. "A weapon?"

Kenkou paused and went into thought about that. "Well... kind of..."

She leaned forward even more. "A F460 Napalm?"

"...No."

"An nuclear electron pulse cannon!"

"No."

"Twin XX390 laser beam emitting machine gun?"

"No!" Kenkou said in exasperation. "I said it was kind of a weapon and besides we already have all those things!"

"...Well we could do with more can't we?" P.A. asked, cocking her head to the side.

The scientist sweatdropped and sighed. Even though P.A. tended to bug him more than necessary he still had a soft spot for the 16-year-old girl. He was a Sky Dweller by birth but he had deserted them once he found out about the resistance force. His knowledge of engineering and dimension travel had aided them immensely.

"It goes with your Rip Bangle..." Kenkou muttered, pointing at the golden armband around the teen's wrist. The Rip Bangles were of his own design. They were a portable, easily concealed method of manually tearing apart space/time barriers. The Sky Dwellers' military units still used the bulky machines so it was invaluable to the resistance they had them. The only problem was that the tearing of dimensional barriers took a lot of energy and the bangles could only carry so much...

"Oh..." P.A. muttered, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Don't be like that before you've even seen him!" Kenkou yelled in outrage. He had, after all, been working on this creation for six years, ten months, three weeks, four days, twenty hours, seventeen minutes, and forty-five seconds.

"Ok then. Amaze me." She challenged, sitting back and crossing her arms.

"You _will _be amazed." He replied smugly, throwing off the tarp. "Behold my latest creation!"

P.A. blinked... and blinked again. "A sleeping guy?"

Kenkou slapped his forehead and sighed. "He is a Biologically Engineered Bipedal Computer Processing Unit with artificial intelligence. Since BEBCPU is so hard to pronounce I call him Todd."

P.A. looked from the man to the boy. He lay on his back, apparently asleep. He was blonde and very fair. He looked around her age really. She tentatively reached out a hand and touched his cheek, yanking it back. "He's warm..."

"I know! You can't tell the difference can you?" Kenkou asked excitedly. "Here. Look." He picked up a limp arm and held it to P.A.

"You went all out..." She muttered in awe. "He has fingerprints...and this feels just like human skin..."

Kenkou smiled. "It took forever to get the texture right. Isn't he amazing?"

"You have outdone yourself... immensely." The girl muttered. "Where are the wires and stuff?"

"His central processor is here." Kenkou tugged the computer's shirt up and pointed to the chest and stomach. "He is solar powered but also runs off a battery you can charge in any electrical outlet. If you open his chest cavity there is a cord you can attach to your Rip Bangles to recharge them. He's a walking power pack!"

"AWESOME!" P.A. latched to the man in a hug. "He's so cool!"

"I know! Isn't he?" Kenkou asked in a conceited tone. He got a childish smile on his face again within moments. "Let's start him up."

"Yeah!" P.A. chirped.

The doctor leaned over and whispered into the machine's ear. "Systems activate. Run program 'Humanity' now."

Todd opened his eyes halfway and sat up quickly, startling P.A. He said, in a monotone voice, "Systems operator?"

"P.A. Black." Kenkou said, pushing the surprised girl forward.

"Voice recognition. Record now."

P.A. looked at Kenkou for instructions but he only nodded to the boy. She sighed and shrugged. "Well... Hi!" She grinned. "I'm P.A. Nice to meet you."

"Record end." Todd muttered in the same monotone. "Please input system operator data."

Kenkou lifted the shirt of the robot as the chest cavity opened. Inside was a small vid-screen with a cable junction beneath it. P.A. quickly opened her Rip Bangle and tugged the cord out. She plugged it in and watched as all her life data flew across the screen, including her fingerprints and retina scans.

"Saving files to memory. Complete." Todd said. P.A. unplugged her cord and the chest cavity swung closed, looking once more like a human chest.

"Is he always so...robotic?" P.A. muttered, closing the panel on her Rip Bangle.

"Just wait a moment." Kenkou snapped, watching the computer.

Todd's eyes closed for a few moments before opening up completely. P.A. noted how shockingly blue they were with a small smile. To her surprise, Todd smiled back at her. "Hi, P.A... It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"...I think I'm going to faint now..." P.A. whispered, watching the computer slide off the table to stand on his own feet.

Concern flashed across her computer's face. "Are you ill? Do you need to lie down?"

"No..."

"She's only in shock at your awesomeness." Kenkou quipped, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "He's all yours, P.A. Have fun."

Before P.A. could reply, the base alarms went off. "What's going on?"

"Alert! Alert! Base has been infiltrated by Sky Dwellers. I repeat. Base has been infiltrated by sky dwellers." The main computer broadcasted.

"Shit! We need to evacuate! All our weapons are at the new base!" P.A. cried. "I need to tell the people in the base!" She quickly popped open her Rip Bangle and tapped into the intercom. "Retreat! This is P.A. speaking! Retreat! Do not fight! Use your Bangles and retreat!"

Todd's head snapped around to stare as the door to the laboratory was blasted in. "Intruders are here."

P.A. reacted quickly, grabbing the boy's hand as she entered random coordinates into her bangle. She saw a flash to her side meaning Kenkou had fled through a rip in the barrier. She looked up as lasers were aimed at her before disappearing into space-time warp.

&&&

P.A. clutched Todd's hand tightly as they flew through the wormhole to god-knows-where. She had gotten used to the sensation of pressure on every part of your body during the warp. The pressure alleviated, only to be replaced by an even more sickening sensation. Falling.

"Oh my god!" She cried, latching to her computer boy as they fell fifteen feet through the air towards the side of a mountain. They hit with a loud thump before tumbling down the side, P.A. flailing and screaming the entire way. She vaguely registered the sound of a train before flying off the edge of another cliff and landing in something grainy. "Ugh..."

"Are you alright?" She felt herself shifted, painfully she noted, into a sitting position. Todd looked down at his operator, who was leaning against his chest, and started to worry. "P.A.?"

"I think I'm in very much pain..." The teen moaned, flopping backwards onto the pile of grain. She lay there in silence for a few moments before a train whistle blasted, making her jump and look around. "Holy hell!"

They were lying in the grain of a transport train car. She had never seen a train before! She only knew about it because of all the old information videos her father had her watch in preparation for dimension travel. P.A. looked around at the rolling fields and trees, turning her face up to the blue sky. She watched in awe as birds flew over. She had never seen something so beautiful... not even the sky cities. Was this what earth looked like before the humans in her world destroyed it?

"Time to find out where we are and get home..." She muttered, reluctantly turning away from the sight and opening her bangle. She yelped as the thing exploded, tearing it off her wrist and chucking it to Todd. The android caught it and blinked in confusion. "God must hate me."

"It's broken... must have broken on the fall..." Todd mused, looking over the damaged dimension machine.

"I_ know_." P.A. whined, putting her head in her hands. "And I don't even know where we are!"

"We're in a country called Amestris, which has a European and possibly German-like background. It is ruled under martial law by a Fuhrer, currently a Mr. King Bradley. Their technology is nowhere near our current technology, but they specialize in the use of Alchemy, the scientific process of transmuting matter into a different form. Our coordinates are-"

"Hold on! Wait! Halt! Cease and desist!" P.A. cried, holding up her hands and startling the robot. "How do you know this?"

"Kenkou equipped me with a device that allows me to read what the International Dimension Computer Terminal has on coordinates." Todd replied, as if it was obvious.

"What else are you equipped with?" She asked, forgetting for a moment what their current situation was.

"Basic weapon operation programs, heavy vehicle and basic vehicle operation programs, self defense programs, radar, thermal vision, dimensional portal scanners, human emotion and memory programs typical of any AI, Engineering and Quantum physics programs, a dictionary and thesaurus, and your basic internet connection. All this and more included under the Humanity Program. Results may vary." He said easily, looking over the bangle.

"...Do you have a cup holder?"

"No. I do not."

"Oh..." P.A. murmured, watching him play with the bangle. "Can you fix it?"

"No. I cannot." He said sadly, handing it back to her. "Many key components are destroyed..."

"Then we're..."

"Trapped, yes."

"And we..."

"Cannot get back to our dimension, yes."

"...I feel faint."

"P.A.!" Todd cried in alarm as the teen keeled over in the grain. Before he could help her though, a loud explosion ripped through the train, making him jump to his feet and look around in fear. He saw P.A. had also gotten to her feet and was also looking around.

"Hear that? Something's up... I don't think train cars explode on a regular basis." P.A. muttered, brushing a lock of blue hair from her face and ducking out of the smoke from the front cars. "See anyone?"

Todd's eyes flashed red and he climbed on the side of the car. "I see many people running down there... I don't know if they are good or bad."

P.A. climbed up next to him and pressed the button on her own glasses to see heat. "Yeah... We better just stay up here. To be safe."

"HEY!"

"...Or not." P.A. muttered, clicking the glasses back into their normal vision.

"I said HEY! Get back into the cars right now or I'll shoot!" The hijacker said, pointing a gun at them.

"Wow... that's really primitive..." P.A. muttered, watching more hijackers climb onto the top of the car. "Hey... Show me what you got, Todd!"

"Are you even listening!"

"Pardon?" The boy asked, looking over at her.

"Your self defense program! Defend yourself!" She yelled, waving her arms and pointing at the men.

"As you wish." He turned to face the men and his eyes narrowed. "Though I would rather we had them surrender."

"We won't surrender to the likes of you!" The hijacker yelled, firing at the boy only to hit air. "What!"

Todd dropped down on him from the air and swung around to kick another in the jaw. He back flipped over the last two and smashed their heads together before landing. "Well... That was very simple." He blinked at the in awe P.A. and smiled sheepishly. "Yes?"

"That... WAS AWESOME! I only know the basic moves but you're like... WOW!" She cried, climbing onto the passenger car with him and continuing to gesture wildly. She stopped and picked up two guns from the unconscious hijackers. "Oh lookie! Guns!"

"What is _with_ you guys! You hijack every train I ride!"

P.A. turned and leveled the gun, firing. She blinked at the startled yell and lowered the gun. She had almost shot a young boy wearing a bright red jacket. He was blonde and had golden eyes and was so... so... "Good thing you're so short or I would have hit you!"

"You... You... WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE THINKS A GRAIN OF SAND IS A BOULDER!" The boy yelled, flailing his arms.

"Besides, P.A." Todd said, looking down at her. "You're as short as he is."

"HEY! I'm 5'2"! I'm not a midget like him!" The girl cried, pointing at the boy.

"I'M NOT A MIDGET! STOP CALLING ME SHORT!" The boy yelled, advancing over to her and glaring.

She glared right back. "Yes you are! You're short and in denial! SHORTY!"

"ANNOYING WENCH!"

"I AM NOT A WENCH!"

Todd sweatdropped and stepped between the two enraged teens. "Now, now... let's all stop yelling."

"Hmph..." The boy grunted, crossing his arms and stepping back. "Who are you two?"

"I'm P.A." The girl said, pointing to herself and grinning happily, all anger at the other forgotten. "And he's Todd."

"I'm Edward. Edward Elric." The boy said, looking past them to the hijackers. "You guys did that?"

"Well Todd did..." P.A. muttered, following his gaze.

"Well you're pretty good with a gun... I guess" He said, smirking at her.

"I would have hit you if you weren't so short..."

"WHY YOU...!"

"Children!" Todd yelled, interrupting the upcoming argument. "Shouldn't we worry more about hijackers?"

"Oh that's right!" Ed cried, slapping his fist into his palm as he realized this. "I have to go help Al."

"Al?" P.A. asked, cocking her head to the side.

"My brother." Edward clarified, running past them to the ladder. He paused and looked back at them, as they had remained motionless. "Are you coming or what?"

"Us?" Todd asked, motioning to himself and P.A.

"Yeah. I mean we could take them all out by ourselves, but the more people fighting them, the faster I can forget this happened." The Elric brother said, scratching the back of his head and looking annoyed.

"Right on! Besides, you're so short they might step on you and then your brother would be sad!" P.A. chirped, sliding down the ladder to the platform below.

"You...!"

Todd sighed in exasperation and slapped his forehead. Maybe he would have been better still deactivated...

&&&

"Big brother!" Al called as they entered the car. P.A. stopped and gaped at the large suit of armor, not caring how rude it was to stare. Al looked down at her, a little unnerved. "Yes...?"

"You're..._tall_." P.A. whispered, staring up at him with large sparkling eyes.

"Uhhh... thank you?" Al said, sweatdropping. He looked at his brother with the unvoiced question.

"This is P.A. and Todd. They took out some hijackers up on the roofs and are helping us now." The older Elric grumbled, glaring at the girl.

"Oh! I'm Alphonse Elric." The armor said. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Wow! You're so polite! You're brother was kind of rude but you're uber nice!"

"Hey! I wasn't the one making the short jokes!" Ed yelled.

"Well they were _true_." She shot back, sending them both into a glaring match.

Todd and Al sighed and looked at each other to separate them, but both were unwilling. They would just let it work itself out. However they were not given the time.

"Hey! You there! Freeze!" A hijacker said, rushing them.

Ed and P.A. turned their glares on him and growled. "WE'RE BUSY!" The hijacker was flung back into the wall as two fists slammed into his face. Both teens blinked and looked at each other before breaking out into sheepish grins and laughing.

Todd and Al sweatdropped. Were they friends or enemies?

P.A. grinned up at the two polite males and motioned towards the next few cars. "Shall we?"

"Alright." Todd said, smiling. "How about you and Edward take the roof together while Alphonse and I continue on through to the front?"

"Why do I have to work with him?" P.A. whined, pointing at the Elric brother. He didn't look too pleased with the arrangements either, which made Al and Todd sweatdrop. Hadn't they just been laughing together about punching out a bad guy?

"But did you realize how coordinated your attacks are? You're perfect partners." Todd continued, crossing his arms behind his back and walking towards the next car. He paused when a truly evil idea hit him. "Unless... you two cannot handle working together... If it's too tough a job for the both of you..."

"Are you calling us weak!" The two yelled, flailing their arms wildly in their anger.

Todd pretended to look surprised. "Me? Why I would never..."

"Don't play all innocent, buddy!" P.A. snapped, poking him in the chest. "We'll show you who's tough! Right, Ed?"

"Right!" He declared before both of them ran to the ladder and were gone.

Al and Todd stood there for a few moments before breaking out into snickers. The young boy looked down at the android and asked, "How did you know that would work?"

"He's so much like P.A. that it was the only thing I could think of that would work... that or tell them the hijackers think they're short." Todd explained as they leisurely strolled over to the next car.

"Yes... that would have worked too."

Up on the roofs of the passenger cars, Edward and P.A. looked for more hijackers to prove their strength. P.A. pouted and crossed her arms, looking up the train one way and then the other. No one was showing their face. It was boring and would never allow her to prove herself to Todd. She hated being called weak and useless. She had gotten a lot of that when she first joined the resistance but then a man named Sayaku taught her how to fight. Now anyone who called her weak lost a few teeth.

"Do you work in the military?" Edward asked suddenly, sitting down and looking up at her.

"M-Me!" The girl asked in surprise, cracking a wry grin at the question. "The military? As if! I hate the military!" She plopped down next to him, not noticing his slightly frightened look. "Well... not the _people_ in the military per say... Just how they work." She turned to the other, missing his relieved look. "Why?"

"Well you fired that gun like a professional. You must've used a gun before." The Elric explained, looking over at her. His eyes widened and he tackled her screaming, "Look out!" A bullet flew over them, exactly where P.A.'s head had been seconds before. Edward glared at the hijacker and clapped his hands together. "Take this, jackass!

He slammed his hands to the roof and, with a bright flash of light, a cannon popped up and fired. The hijacker screamed and dove forward out of the way. The man quivered for a few moments before opening his eyes at the sound of a gun loading. He eeped at the sight of P.A.'s stolen gun barrel aimed right between his eyes, albeit it was upside down.

P.A. aimed as best as she could while on her back from the unceremonious tackle and smirked. She tightened her finger on the trigger and muttered, "Bang." The man screamed loudly and dove off the train, leaving both teens alone on the train top again.

"Man that was close..." Ed muttered, closing his eyes and trying to stop the adrenaline coursing through his veins. If he hadn't tackled the girl when he did, she'd be... He tried not to think about her lifeless body and opened his eyes, only to be met with the same sight the hijacker had seen before fleeing. "Hey! Don't point that at me!"

"Then get off, pervert!" P.A. cried, tightening her finger on the trigger again.

Edward blinked before realization dawned on his face. "Oh that's... EW!" He quickly scrambled back and away from the girl, disgust clearly evident on his face. "That's just wrong!"

P.A. jumped to her feet, face flushed with rage. "So I'm _disgusting_? I'm gonna shoot you for that!" She leveled the gun and paused. "Oh wait... Sorry... You're... Oh I feel so silly!" She giggled and twirled the gun before sticking it in the sash around her waist.

"What are you talking about?" The boy asked, slightly happy he wasn't about to be shot.

"I realized why you thought being in that position with a girl was so gross!" She said, smiling down at him. "You're gay right?"

"WHAT!"

"It's all so obvious!" She said, walking in a drunken fashion towards the ladder. Of course she knew he wasn't gay but he needed to be punished for his insults against her.

"W...WAIT A SECOND!" Edward yelled, chasing after her.

&&&

"God! Hijackers these days sure are pathetic!" P.A. cried, slumping into a seat next to Edward and huffing. "They had no organization! No plan of attack!"

It had taken them roughly ten minutes to take care of the rest of the criminals before throwing the unconscious men in a freight car. P.A. had finally accepted Edwards hurried and stuttered explanation as to why he was completely and utterly straight after about five minutes, deciding the other needed a break from ridicule for a while. Now they were all simply going to relax until they arrived... wherever it was this train was taking them. Al kept going on about how impressed he was with Todd's fighting skills.

"I've never seen someone move as fast as you!" Al exclaimed, looking down at the robot.

Todd smiled sheepishly. "Well you know... special training and all that."

"But Edward was amazing!" P.A. cried, waving her hands. "Making cannon out of the roof using nothing but his hands! I've never seen something so neat!"

Edward grinned and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment at the praise while Al looked confused. "You've never seen alchemy before?"

"Nope." P.A. said, getting the same dumbfounded look from Edward now. "Never have."

"Wow... Now _that_ is amazing." Ed said, looking at her in shock.

"Not really." The girl replied, swinging her legs and looking around Ed to see out the window. "Where are we going?"

"...You stowed away on a train not knowing where you were going?" The short alchemist asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"I told you! We were here by accident! ACCIDENT I SAY!"

"Alright, alright... I hear ya..." Edward muttered, shrinking away from the enraged look.

"So where are we going, Al?" Todd asked, looking up at the younger Elric.

"We're going to Central to report to the Colonel Mustang." Al said.

"Oh yeah... Martial law..." P.A. whispered before turning her attention to the suit of armor. "So is this colonel a cool guy like you two?"

"Psh. No!" Ed snapped, crossing his arms and slouching in his seat. "He's an asshole."

"Oh... I want to meet him."

"What!" The boy went from slouched to standing in record time. P.A. asked Todd later for the time it took to do that and the robot had said .8 seconds. P.A. had then spent the better part of an hour trying to beat that record.

"Why do you want to meet him, P.A.?" Todd asked.

"Well I want to see if I can find a place to fix my bracelet." P.A. said, patting her pocket lightly.

"What's so great about a stupid bracelet?" Ed asked.

"Go drink some milk and GROW, shrimp!"

"SHUT UP!"

So much for lightening up on the ridicule...

&&&

Even after getting off the train in Central, Edward and P.A. were still arguing. Todd looked ahead at the two and smiled. They were so cute... like little children. His operator was strange though... she changed emotions at the drop of a hat and always seemed to have a never-ending energy about her. He was truly lucky to have such an innocent operator...

"Are you alright, Todd?" Al asked, seeing the other's faraway gaze.

"Oh? Nothing. I was only wondering when they'd stop bickering." The machine replied, smiling up at the other. "So why did you and your brother join the military? You don't seem like the type to join such an organization."

Al sweatdropped and looked sheepish. "Well we have our reasons..."

At that moment a car flew by them through a puddle, splashing Edward and P.A. Both teens growled and started to curse, even as the car stopped. They were so caught up in their anger that they didn't notice the suave Colonel Mustang step out onto the sidewalk.

"I'm sorry, Miss." He said loudly, gaining the two ranting teen's attention. "Allow me to make amends for getting you wet."

"HEY! What about _me_!" Edward demanded as Roy approached the girl.

"Uhhh..." P.A. stared up at him in confusion, ignoring the enraged blonde boy beside her. "Ok... I guess..."

"I am Colonel Roy Mustang. What might your name be?" He asked, giving a dashing smile that made the very air around him seem to sparkle.

"I'm P.A.!" She answered, pointing to herself before pausing. "Wait... Mustang? You're just the person I wanted to talk to! How great!"

He smirked. "You wanted to speak to me? Well why don't we speak in the car then..."

"Excuse me." Todd said, twitching slightly and stepping forward. "_We_ needed to talk to you."

Roy looked at him coolly and raised an eyebrow. "And you are...?"

"Todd." The machine answered in a clipped tone. You could practically see the sparks fly between their glares. "And I would prefer it if _we_ talked to you back at the military headquarters."

"Yeah..." P.A. said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Besides we can't just leave Edward and Al behind... I thank you for your offer." The girl bowed low, completely missing the relieved look that passed over Edward's face. Todd saw it and smiled widely.

Roy looked disappointed but smiled at her anyways. "Alright. I look forward to our next meeting." He kissed the back of her hand and turned to go back to his car, looking over at Edward for the first time. "Oh! Fullmetal... Didn't see you there. You're so small I miss you all the time..."

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Edward yelled, being held back by Al so he didn't attack the laughing flame alchemist.

P.A. waved after his retreating form and called, "Nice one!" She giggled as Edward turned his rage on her. She grinned and patted his head. "Oh calm down. You're not that short..."

Edward stopped and brightened. "Really! You think I'm kind of tall?"

"No not really."

"Why you...! Let me at her, Al!"

Alphonse sighed and shook his head. "Oh big brother..."

&&&

Finally after much walking, they all arrived at the headquarters. They walked in, Todd and P.A. staring around at all the military personnel. It reminded P.A. of the people back in 2391, in her own dimension. She looked down sadly and sighed. How were they going to get back? Was Kenkou ok, or was he stuck in the same situation as her and Todd? Horror dawned on her face. What would her father say...?

"Hey, P.A." Edward said, waving a hand in front of her face. "You ok?"

She blinked and smiled, albeit a bit strained. "Y-Yeah... Why wouldn't I be?"

The older Elric didn't look convinced but shrugged it off and walked through the halls towards Mustang's office, his three companions in tow. Not even bothering to knock he walked right in and flopped on one of the sofas.

"Be careful, Fullmetal. It's leather. If you ruin it with your wet clothes it's coming out of your pocket." Roy muttered, hunched over ridiculous paperwork that he couldn't force his subordinates to do. He did look up, however, when P.A. and the other two entered. He gave a small smile at the girl and motioned to the couches. "Please sit."

P.A. waltzed over to the couch and pushed Edward into a sitting position before taking a seat and releasing him. He gave a yelp as his head fell into her lap, giving her wide, startled eyes. She winked down at him and looked over at a twitching colonel. His face was _priceless_... Both of their faces were in fact. Where were cameras when you needed them? This screamed Kodak moment.

"Right... What did you wish to speak with me about?" Roy asked, looking between Todd and P.A., his annoyance temporarily pushed aside for business.

"Well we were wondering about your sciences." Todd answered, sharing a look with P.A. "Past and present."

Edward blinked, moving to sit up but held down by P.A.'s hands. They slowly massaged his shoulders as she gave him a look that clearly said "LATER!" and yes, in all capital letters. He closed his eyes with a sigh and she inwardly gave a sigh of her own. As long as Ed kept his mouth shut she was home free.

Al watched as his big brother slowly relaxed and forgot what he was going to say. His brother was stubborn so this was an odd sight to see. He knew Edward would confront the girl later but for now he was content to watch his brother finally get some rest.

Roy raised an eyebrow, not only at the request but also at the girl's actions towards Fullmetal. Just how close were they...? He always thought the short alchemist was interested in that Winry girl... He'd find out later through Hughes. "Any specific field?"

"Well we're kind of interested in alchemy." P.A. replied. "We want to learn all we can about that." She ignored Todd's startled look and stared at Roy's dark eyes.

He smiled and laced his fingers together, resting his chin on them. "Well if that is all you want to know, you should visit the State Library. You should find the texts there sufficient enough. If Alphonse would be so kind as to take you, I may get my report from Fullmetal here."

"Thank you." P.A. chirped, sitting Ed up and standing, giving him a low bow again. "Come on, Todd."

They both followed the armor out of the room and let the door close, leaving Edward alone with Roy. The Elric brother sat up completely and looked over at the colonel's smug look. The tension in the room grew until Ed couldn't stand it. "WHAT!"

"Isn't she a little _tall_ for you, Fullmetal?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BEAN SPROUT!"

&&&

"Is Fullmetal Edward's nickname or something?" P.A. asked as she and her two friends entered the library. She paused, however, and stared around in wonder. She had never seen so many books before... only the one or two lying around the base. Books had been an outdated way of storing information for two centuries in her world... Seeing so many... She wondered if she could read them all before leaving.

"He's a state alchemist for the military and that's his title... like how the colonel is the Flame Alchemist..." Al answered, leading them over to the section on alchemy.

"Why Fullmetal? He didn't seem to have any metal on him..." P.A. mused, looking up at the young boy in curiosity. She was met, however, with sad eyes (or what she could guess were his eyes). The teen frowned slightly. Apparently that was a touchy subject... She smiled cheerfully and waved the question off. "So what can you tell me about alchemy?"

About an hour later, Edward showed up in their little corner of bookshelves. P.A. was in a heated discussion with Alphonse about the science of alchemy and the law of equivalent exchange while her friend was... flipping through books at lightning speed. What Edward didn't know was that Todd was scanning the pages and saving the information to memory. He personally found the science fascinating and would very much like to learn it, and if P.A. thought this stuff was worth knowing he was prepared to be as informative as he could.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Ed asked, plopping down on the floor with the rest of them.

"Hey, Edward." P.A. greeted, smiling at him. "I have a question for you."

The boy looked over at her and blinked. "Yeah?"

"Well Al says alchemy involves a transmutation circle... How come your alchemy doesn't?" She looked between the brothers as a sudden hush surrounded them. Even for a library this silence was... unnerving. It was the same kind of silence Al greeted her earlier question with. The two subjects must be related... somehow... "Is it possible you have a great store of power in that tiny body of yours?"

"STOP CALLING ME SHORT!"

Everyone in the library shushed them and Edward fumed angrily. P.A. giggled behind her hand and waved his anger off, turning around to see what Todd was reading. Edward was inwardly relieved that she had lightened the mood with the joke though. She seemed to know just the right thing to say to change the tension in the air into a joking atmosphere. Edward didn't know why but he was drawn to the girl for some unexplainable reason. She was so mysterious... she was almost as bad as the colonel in teasing though! He saw she meant no harm behind it though... she just liked seeing him annoyed. Thinking of the colonel though reminded him of what she said earlier.

"I thought you wanted to see the colonel about your bracelet." The alchemist stated casually, looking over at the girl.

"I did see him about my bracelet." P.A. replied, not turning around to face him.

"You asked about alchemy." Edward shot back, moving to sit next to her.

"Yeah... I know." The girl muttered, flipping to the table of elements in the book and skimming through it. She frowned and cursed under her breath, slamming her book and sighing. "Though that doesn't matter now..."

"What?" The blonde boy asked, not realizing Todd voiced the same question.

"Alchemy alone can't fix my bracelet..." P.A. growled, standing and placing the book back on the shelf. She turned her smile down onto the two brothers. "Thank you for taking us to the colonel... Now we have to go."

"What!" Al cried, watching as Todd also stood. Edward watched them with suspicious eyes as they both gave their most innocent smiles.

"We have other business to attend to." P.A. said, bowing low. She looked through her hair at Edward and gave a sad smile whispering, "I'm sorry."

The Elric brothers could do nothing as their two new friends left the library hurriedly. Once outside, P.A. sighed heavily and walked in a random direction. Todd fell into step beside her, noting quietly it was going to rain soon. After a few minutes of companionable silence they came to a park. He watched the children play with interest while his operator sat on a bench.

"We need to think..." P.A. whispered. She leaned back against the bench and sighed, trying to relax. How would they do this? She was sure alchemy would work on her bracelet but then Al had explained further. She was missing parts from the bracelet—she knew that for sure. They had most likely been dropped in the grain or blown off the train, lost for good. She _could_ make new ones using the science of alchemy. The only problem there was that half the missing parts were made of a conducting element that had not been created here yet. They were stuck.

She frowned, remembering the confused glances she got from the brothers. She couldn't just come right out and say "Hey I'm from another dimension and my bracelet is actually special technology that allows me to pass through space/time. Oh by the way my friend is actually an android. Silly world, ain't it?" ...Yes she could already picture the boy's reactions.

"P.A. I have an idea..." Todd whispered, finally sitting down next to her.

"You do? Lay it on me, tin man." P.A. muttered. She was desperate for any sort of epiphany... that and a burger. A big burger with everything on it... and fries. "If it has _anything_ to do with getting food, I'll love you forever."

Todd blinked down at her and remembered that she was human and needed to eat, unlike him. "No... I'm sorry."

"No, no... It's all right. Just tell me your idea." She whined, waving a hand for him to continue.

"Well...Rips in space/time don't only happen manually... they happen randomly throughout every dimension, right?" Todd asked.

"Mhm..." Came the soft reply.

"Well why don't we simply wait for one of these random tears and go through them. Perhaps we'll end up in a more technologically advanced world and we can fix your bracelet." The machine suggested, jumping when his owner snapped to attention. "P.A...?"

"Sheer...brilliance." She whispered. "Sure it could take days, months, or even _years_ to find a rip in the time continuum but then again we can both see them!" P.A. jumped to her feet and whirled around to face him. "And in the meantime we can try and create the elements needed to fix the bracelet!"

"But you don't know how to cause the reactions needed in the engineering process-" Todd started, but was cut off by P.A.'s fingers on his lips.

"I don't... but you do." The teen gave him a wry grin. "Kenkou made sure of that, didn't he?"

Todd felt the beginnings of a smile on his face. Perhaps there was more to his operator than he could possibly ever see...

&&&

"Is the coast clear yet...?" P.A. asked, munching on a muffin. There were hundreds in the crate she hid behind.

"P.A... that's stealing." Todd scolded, looking over at her in disappointment.

"Well I don't want to starve." She snapped, licking the crumbs off her fingers and wishing she had a glass of milk. Two days had passed since they came across their sudden plan and since then P.A. had only had water to survive on. She had gone longer without food but when opportunity knocked she always opened the door.

Todd sighed and his eyes flashed red. Looking around he shook his head and allowed his vision to return to normal. "No... Nobody is around."

"Cool. Let's go to a passenger car and wait this out."

Within the two days they had formulated a plot, they returned to the library and researched geographical formations on Amestris. To the north there was a mountain range that was nearly identical to where they found the chemicals needed for Ithilum, one of the elements P.A.'s bracelet was made of. The two had hopped a train in Central and were now on their way to the frozen little village. Now that P.A. thought about it, she couldn't quite remember the name... oh well. She only wanted to get her chemicals anyways.

"P.A... you shouldn't take anymore muffins." Todd whined, opening the door to the nearest passenger car.

The girl looked up at him in exasperation, arms laden with the tasty pastry. "I don't know when my next meal will be. Stop parenting me like my fath-YOU!" She dropped a few muffins so she may point at the red-clad alchemist.

"YOU!" Edward yelled, jumping onto his seat and pointing at her, before blinking and lowering his hand. "Are those muffins?"

"My muffins!" She hissed, picking the few up off the floor and inspecting them. "Meh... you can have these ones."

"Those were on the floor!"

"So? Ever hear of the five-second rule?" When she got a blank look as he answer she sighed and plopped next to him on the seat. "Fine... I'll share with you. Who knows? Maybe the nutrition will help you grow."

Edward fumed until a muffin was shoved under his nose. "I'll let you off this time... since you're bearing gifts..."

"Muffins are better than the olive branch, seriously!" P.A. chirped, turning to Alphonse as Todd took his seat across from her. "Hey there, Al!"

"Hello, P.A." The armor greeted. "What are you and Todd doing here?"

"Going to the mountains. You?" P.A. answered before taking another bite out of her muffin.

Al looked to Edward, who was stuffing his face with blueberry muffins, and sighed. The Colonel, not allowing his brother to get anything to eat before leaving, had sent them out early to this mission. They were to investigate a series of disappearances around the village, most of them taking place up in the mountains. When he related the stories to P.A. and Todd, the young girl stopped eating and raised an eyebrow.

"Anything specific involved with these disappearances that make them worth while?" She asked. "They could just be freezing to death and buried in avalanches."

"That's what I said!" Edward declared, swallowing loudly before continuing. "But then the colonel said the people vanished into thin air with a big flash of light." He watched as both his friend's eyes widened and they looked at each other. "What's wrong with you guys? Do you know what that is?"

"No..." P.A. said slowly, playing with a muffin wrapper. "That's just really... weird."

Neither Al nor Edward was convinced by that, but decided not to push the subject until they arrived at the station. In the meantime...

"Have you ever played cat's cradle, Ed?" P.A. asked suddenly.

&&&

"I still don't get the point of that game." Ed complained, stepping out onto the snowy platform. He drew his coat closer around himself and shivered. Damn cold... it made his automail freezing.

"You're just mad because you couldn't get it right." P.A. shot back, hopping up next to him, zipping up her sweater jacket. She wasn't used to the cold either seeing as she'd been born into a global-warming-ravished earth. God damn was it _freezing_.

"How can you stand the cold!" Ed demanded, looking over at Todd. The other was still in his t-shirt and jeans but looked completely unaffected.

Todd sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Well... I was born in a sub-zero environment... this feels quite nice actually." He was a smooth liar...

"Lucky..." The boy grumbled, walking towards the exit of the station. Al sighed and motioned for them to follow.

Stepping out into the snow, P.A. yelped and hopped from one foot to the other. "The snow is leaking into my shoes!"

"Well what did you expect, wearing ridiculous shoes like those?" Ed demanded, looking back at her.

"Hey! Converse are not ridiculous! They're way comfortable!" She cried.

"But completely stupid to wear in snow." He snapped.

P.A. growled and huffed, but was suddenly lifted up and out of the snow. She floundered for a bit before she realized Al had picked her up. She blinked at the younger Elric and smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Al giggled and shook his head, allowing Todd to take the boy's luggage from his hand. "Anytime."

Edward looked on and scowled, turning back to trudge through the deep snow. How could his brother like that girl so much? She was nothing but a rude pain in the neck! Her companion was much nicer but she was... UGH! Suddenly the image of her laughing with the string wound around her hands came to mind. He growled and looked down at the road. Stupid game... stupid girl...

"Boy! Little boy!" An elderly voice called. Edward turned towards the call and found an old granny, bundled up against the icy air, waving him over.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING THE SHORTEST ALCHEMIST IN THE WORLD!"

"Edward!" P.A. snapped, hopping down from Al's arms and hitting the angry Elric over the head. "Respect your elders!" The girl hopped over to the woman and bowed. "I am terribly sorry, miss! He's not quite right in the head you see-"

"Shut up!" Ed yelled, waving his arms.

"You shut up!" P.A. shot back. "I'm apologizing for _your_ tantrum!"

Todd sighed and walked up to the woman. "I am deeply sorry for this. What is it you needed from Edward?"

The old woman turned her alarmed gaze from the arguing teens to the polite robot. "Well... I was wondering if that boy there was a state alchemist."

"Yes he is, ma'am." Al said, bowing slightly. "His name is Edward Elric. I am his brother Alphonse. These two are Todd and P.A."

"Oh well isn't this a relief!" She said, patting her heart. "All those strange happenings in the mountains... I'm so glad the State sent someone to take care of them. Do you have anywhere to stay, dears?"

"No, ma'am. We haven't found an inn yet." Todd replied, giving a kind smile.

"You won't find an inn here, dears." Her words silenced the two bickering kids and forced them to pay attention as well. "We don't get tourists you see...You are all welcome to stay at my house though."

"Oh but we wouldn't want to impose on you." Al said, waving his hands, but quieted by a stern glance from the old woman.

"Nonsense. You won't impose on me any. Come along this way and we'll get you warmed up."

Any protests Ed and P.A. might have had were forgotten at the thought of warm food and a roaring fire.

&&&

Edward lay back on his bed in the old woman's house, trench coat, boots, and undercoat on the floor. The old woman's name was Mrs. Winchester, but P.A. insisted on calling her Granny. Weird girl... He wasn't complaining though! He smiled and sat up, looking around his room. The place was warm and Mrs. Winchester had said something about preparing dinner.

"Hopefully it's stew." Ed muttered, nearly salivating at the thought. He decided to see how they were coming along with dinner. He got to his feet and padded his way down the hallway. He took a deep breath and sighed contently. It seems stew was on the menu...

He walked turned to enter the kitchen and stopped, wide-eyed. P.A. was setting the table for Granny, but her regular outfit was gone. Instead she wore a light blue dress with fringed sleeves and a high collar. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun and her rose-tinted glasses were gone. For the first time, Ed could see her eyes were blue, just like the dress. She looked like she was part of an old snapshot...

"Oh! Hi, Edward!" P.A. chirped, noticing him in the doorway. He noticed her eyes shifted to his metal arm momentarily before returning to his eyes. "Isn't this dress awesome? Granny said I could have it! She's washing my other clothes right now." She blinked and put her hands on her hips. "Well don't just stand there! Come in and take a seat!"

Ed mutely did as she commanded and watched her return to the old woman's side to check on the stew before crouching down to look in the oven. Apparently she had baked some bread for dinner as well. Why wasn't she freaking out about his automail, like he thought she would? Perhaps she was only waiting until the old woman wasn't around...

Winchester laughed heartily and watched the girl return to finish setting the table. "You remind me so much of my daughter... Lively and energetic as you are."

P.A. smiled and curtsied. "Why thank you. I bet your daughter is a lovely woman." Ed vaguely wondered where all the sarcasm and rudeness in the girl had gone.

"Thank you. She was." Granny looked into the stew sadly, stirring a bit slower. "Sadly, she was one of the first to disappear..."

P.A. sat down in the chair next to Edward, looking apologetic. "I'm so sorry..."

"No, dearie. It's not your fault." Grandma Winchester said, smiling over at her. "Would you mind fetching the other two boys? I believe they are playing checkers in the sitting room."

"Of course I don't mind." The girl said, standing up and trotting out of the room.

Edward shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking down at his bowl. He could feel Winchester's eyes on him, and it made him uncomfortable. Finally, the old woman spoke. "You're quite lucky to have her looking after you, son."

Ed's eyes snapped up to meet aged brown. "What?"

"She's a fine girl. A bit eccentric, yes... but who isn't these days?" She gave him a wry grin before bringing the large pot over to the table.

"But..."

"Here we are." P.A. announced, walking in with Al and Todd and taking her seat next to Edward again.

After Granny served them all stew, the tension in the room lightened up and P.A. seemed to return to her normal self. She teased Edward about his shortness again but retained that reserved politeness she had adopted upon coming into the house. The girl had been surprised seeing Todd eating the stew happily, which made Ed even more suspicious of the two. He would have asked her about it but he couldn't think of how to approach the subject. He wanted to know more about the other two without sounding as if he didn't trust them.

"That was great, Granny!" P.A. chirped, standing and picking up the empty bowls.

"Thank you, dear. Oh you don't have to do the dishes." Grandma Winchester said, going to stand.

"No, no! I insist!" The girl said. "You go relax with the guys and I'll be out in a second."

"I'll help you." Edward volunteered, standing and grabbing the remaining plates, much to the surprise of Al and Todd.

"Brother... that's so _kind_ of you!" Al cried, earning a glare from his brother. "I'm so proud!"

"Hahaha...you love pissing me off." Ed muttered, setting the dishes in the sink and turning on the water.

P.A. dug around the cabinets for a few moments before popping up with some soap. "Ok. I'll wash and you can dry."

Edward nodded mutely and they started their work. The only sounds were muffled laughter from the next room and the clinking of dishes. P.A. sighed and looked over at Ed, exasperation clearly on her face. "We need to talk, don't we?" Edward nodded and continued drying the dishes, leaving P.A. to continue. "Fine..." She returned to scrubbing the bowl in her hands before whispering. "Your arm is why you're called Fullmetal, ne?"

"Yeah..."

"And your leg is made of the same stuff, right?"

The boy looked over at her in surprise. "Um... Yeah. How did you know?"

"Your footsteps seemed odd, but I couldn't figure out why." P.A. answered, passing him the bowl.

"I see..." The uncomfortable silence dropped back onto them, making Edward wish she'd say something else. As if hearing his mental plea, she did.

"Did it hurt?"

He looked over to see her watching him, no longer washing dishes. He quickly turned his gaze back to the thoroughly dried bowl in his own hands and sighed. Pain... more pain than simply automail surgery... More pain than she could possibly imagine... He mumbled a soft "Yes..."

P.A. nodded and returned to washing. "Well ask."

"Ask what?" Edward questioned, looking at her weirdly.

"Why I was surprised Todd ate. I know you noticed." She ignored Edward's startled look. "Well do you want to know or what?"

"Yeah. I guess."

She passed him another bowl and turned so she could lean back against the counter. "He was anorexic." She waved off the boy's shocked look. "I know. It's weird. I finally got him to eat a small while ago. He's well on his way to full recovery." Sure it was a complete lie but she really didn't have an answer as to _how_ the robot ate. Her friend was so human it was frightening sometimes, but it was also comforting. She felt like he could actually understand what was happening to her. The wonders of Kenkou's technology...

She gave Edward a sidelong glance and grinned, nudging him with her hip. "Ok. We're being really depressing. Let's change subjects." She smirked at his shocked look and asked slowly, "So... do you think it worked?"

"What worked?" The golden-haired teen asked slowly. He knew she was up to something...

"Do you think the milk in the stew made you taller?"

"ARGH! Can't you go one day without making fun of me?"

She laughed but eeped and dodged a swipe at her head. "HEY! That was your metal arm! Cheater! Cheater, cheater!"

"You're just as short as me! Stand still!"

"Three inches taller, buddy! THREE INCHES!"

"Not when I'm through with you!" Ed cried, transmuting his arm into a blade.

P.A.'s eyes widened and she backed away. "Edward... Stay away... Violence is wrong..." She suddenly fled the room, waving her arms madly. "GRANNY!"

"GET BACK HERE!"

In the sitting room, Mrs. Winchester laughed at the commotion. "Are they always this crazy?"

Todd nodded and sweatdropped. "Unfortunately..."

&&&

"It's going to storm tonight." Granny said offhandedly, looking out the window. After P.A. and Edward had calmed down, they had all retired to the sitting room to lounge about the fire. P.A. was once again trying to get Edward to play cat's cradle with her, though he insisted it was a stupid game.

Todd followed the old woman's gaze and nodded. "I guess we won't be doing any snooping around the mountains until it blows over..."

"Yeah. It would be dangerous to go up there in the middle of a blizzard." Al agreed, moving a checkers piece. He was determined to beat the other in checkers, even if it took all night.

"No! You grab the cross sections, Edward!" P.A. snapped.

"It's a stupid game, P.A.! I can't believe I'm even playing with you!" He shot back, doing as he was told anyways.

"Do you want to do something else?" She asked. She knew a bunch of games. When you're sitting around a base filled with bored rebels, you tend to play a lot of games. She was one of the few who liked the old games. They were so simple, and simple things amused her. She suddenly had an idea. "Let's do palm readings!"

"Palm whatsits?" Edward asked as his hand was snatched by hers and inspected. "What are you doing!"

"I'm reading your palm. Hold still."

"Is this one of those fortune teller things? I don't believe in this stuff..." Edward grumbled.

"Oh shut up. Your palm is speaking to me."

"Ok now I'm positive you're mentally unstable."

"Be quiet!" P.A. whispered, running her fingers over his palm as the other's watched on. She mumbled a few things to herself, tracing the thin lines etched into his palm. Edward felt heat rising to his face but quickly forced it down again. There was no need to be embarrassed about this type of thing, he told himself. He jumped when P.A. cried, "I have it!"

"You do?" Al asked, leaning over her shoulder to look at his brother's hand. "What does it say?"

Before P.A. could say exactly what Ed's palm said, loud, insistent knocking interrupted. Granny climbed to her feet and opened the door, staring at the breathless man in concern. "William? What is wrong?"

"Ralph... In the mountains... Disappeared." He panted, resting his hands on his knees and trying to catch his breath.

P.A. was on her feet and gone from the room in mere seconds while Edward walked up to the man. "Where!"

"On the cliffs... A man attacked us... I escaped..."

"A man?" Al asked, walking over.

"What was this man carrying?" Todd demanded, walking past the brothers and staring down at William.

William looked up at the other, startled. "I don't know... some kind of gun attached to a gold bracelet thing..."

"A Rip Bangle."

Everyone looked over at P.A., watching her slip her rose-tinted glasses back into place and slipping her sweater jacket on. Instead of her neon green sneakers, however, she wore boots. Todd watched on as she checked her ammo and smiled. She looked so professional now. She was truly a warrior at heart.

"A what bangle?" Ed asked.

"Not important." She answered. "Let's go."

They nodded and the four ran out into the snow towards the mountain road, barely hearing Grandma Winchester call for them to be careful.

&&&

"Lucky break huh?" P.A. asked Todd as they toiled up the steep slope behind the Elric brothers.

"Yes." Her companion replied, wincing as the wind gave an extra strong gust. "Are you cold?"

"I'm freezing my ass off." She immediately answered, bent nearly double against the cold. "But I'm not turning back now...This bastard has our ticket home."

Todd nodded and looked ahead to the brothers. "Shouldn't we have told them to stay behind? If this man truly has a bangle then they are out of their league..."

P.A. gave him a dry grin. "Would Edward have stayed behind if I told him to? We both know he'd come along after us. His palm reading only made me even sure of his stubbornness."

"I see... You admire him." He stated, looking at the short alchemist.

P.A. followed his gaze and smiled softly. Edward Elric... what have you gone through to make yourself so strong in the face of opposition? His eyes shined with so much courage and stubborn bravery. His will was near unbreakable and yet he still felt sorrow. So complex a being, and yet easy to read. "Yeah... I do admire him."

Todd smiled and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her a bit closer. "You two are very similar."

"No we aren't!" She snapped, pouting up at him. "I'm much more lovable." All she got was a laugh in response.

"Hey, you two! Stop being all cuddly and move faster!" Ed called angrily.

"Stop being mean!" P.A. shot back, watching as he turned his glare away from the two of them and walked even faster. "He is right though. Let's hurry."

She started to jog to catch up with the retreating form of Edward when she felt it. She could never explain this sensation to anyone. It was as if all sound had faded and everything moved in slow motion. Perhaps she had gotten this "sixth sense" from her time in the rebellion, but it never failed. She grabbed her gun and swung around to bring it level as a rushing blur slammed into her, throwing her backwards through the snow.

"P.A.!" Todd cried in alarm as she slid towards the cliff edge.

She drove her gun into the ground and swung around into a crouching position, dangerously close to the edge. Her gun was up and locked, scanning the area. Her heat signature feature on the glasses kicked in and she grinned. "Like a roman candle... Todd we were right!"

"Right about what!" Edward demanded, coming over to her side.

"That man isn't normal."

The man floated down into their vision and cackled. He wore a jetpack and the body suits of the Sky Dweller military. On one wrist he wore the Rip Bangle, and in the other hand he held a gun that was connected to the dimension maker and aimed right at... Al.

"AL! Don't let him shoot you!" She cried quickly, just as the man pulled the trigger.

The suit of armor dove out of the way of the laser, which hit the ground and blew into a bright flash of light. When it faded, all the snow was gone where it hit, confirming P.A.'s suspicions of the gun's purpose.

"What the hell is that thing!" Edward squawked, looking frantically from P.A., the gun, to the snow-less area.

"Explaining later. Just don't let it hit you." P.A. hissed, looking up at the man. He was wearing goggles... she couldn't see his face.

"You truly are your father's daughter, P.A." The man commented casually, lifting the goggles and smirking down at her. "Fighter to the end."

"Damien!" She yelled, pointing at the man. The man was one of the rebels who worked under her. They hadn't ever seen eye to eye on many things. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't remembered seeing him on the day the Sky Dwellers attacked them...

"Right. I'm glad you recognized me, girl." The man snapped. He looked over at Todd, then to Al, and finally Edward, his grin getting even more amused. "What a team you've made... Pathetic."

"Shut up! You're the one who brought the Sky Dwellers down on us!" She accused, glaring hatefully at him. "You betrayed me!"

"Ha! You thought I was going to take orders from a little girl for the rest of my life?" He demanded. "Then I got a lovely proposition from the military. Turn in one of the rebel leaders and I'll be free to live in the cloud cities. I'm _tired _of fighting for your hopeless cause!"

"You know him, P.A...?" Al asked, looking from the man to the teen.

"What is he talking about!" Ed asked, grabbing P.A.'s arm. He was shocked when she ripped it from his grasp and her venomous glare turned on him. "What...?"

"_He's_ the reason I'm stuck here!" She yelled before scowling up at the man. "You asshole..."

Damien let another insane cackle slip free and he grinned sardonically down at her. "You're not tough at all. I don't see why the resistance respects you. All you're doing is getting by on your ridiculous father's fame! He's nothing but a weakling too!" He started to laugh again but stopped as the gunshot rang out through the mountain. He blinked and looked down at the severed cord between the bangle and gun, and then at his bleeding shoulder.

P.A. smirked and cocked the gun again. "Don't ever... _EVER_... disrespect my father."

Damien growled and turned the gun to Todd. "Then may they never find you!" He pulled the trigger.

The robot was blasted backwards into Al and both fell to the snowy ground. P.A. screamed and dropped her handguns, running towards Todd, Edward at her heels. Another laser hit by their feet, exploding the ground beneath the two teens. P.A. felt herself spiraling through the air, flailing her arm out to catch anything. Her hand met Edward's and she gripped it tightly as they both flew over the cliff's edge.

The both heard a shout and another explosion before everything went dark.

&&&

P.A. groaned and scrunched her eyes closed tighter. Her body hurt so badly...especially her ankle. Consciousness sucked. She liked the painless black that came with being knocked out. She coughed slightly and tasted blood in her mouth, whining and hoping she wasn't internally bleeding.

"P.A...?"

She opened her eyes at the weak voice. She was laying on her back in the snow. Far up above her she could see a snowy slope before sheer rock walls straight up into the mist. There were imprints in the snow right down to... where she was currently lying. Ouch. How far had she fallen?

"P.A...!" The voice called again, sounding more frantic. She recognized that voice...

"Edward...?" She replied, trying to sit up and see where the other was. Her body protested greatly to the motion, so she lay back with a muttered curse.

"Here..." Someone squeezed her left hand softly.

"Ugh...I feel terrible... How do you feel?" She managed to turn her head onto its side so she could see her friend. He looked pretty beat up... P.A. imagined she couldn't look too much better herself...

"Not too good... I can't move my right arm..." He groaned and turned his head so they could lock eyes. He gave a weak smile. "Must've busted it up pretty good on the fall..."

"I think you busted more than your arm..." P.A. joked, smiling weakly. She didn't feel any humor in it though. Sighing, she closed her eyes. She wanted to go back to sleep...Her eyes snapped open when something wet landed on her cheek. Looking skywards, she saw snow was starting to fall. "Oh perfect... I blame you, Ed."

"Why me!" He demanded angrily.

"I have no idea... I could blame that harmless little tree over there... or that rock... How about I blame the twig digging into my spine? Yes. It's your fault, twig. You made it snow."

"I see the fall has done nothing to improve your mental state..." Edward replied sarcastically, sitting up with a pained hiss. Looking at the sky himself, the alchemist sighed. "That storm is finally coming in..."

"Then we need to get some shelter." P.A. said softly, sitting up and wincing. "Owie... This is a bigger pain than you..."

"Oh shut up..." He climbed to his feet and held out his hand to her. Now P.A. could see that his automail was indeed damaged. "Come on..."

P.A. took his hand and allowed herself to be dragged to her feet, giving a sharp cry as she put weight on her ankle. She hopped onto one foot and growled, "PERFECT!" Her gaze fell onto the twig. "All your fault, twig!"

Ed chuckled and put her arm around his neck, wrapping his only good arm around her waist. "Stop abusing twigs and walk. We'll be warmer this way too."

"Good idea." She answered, leaning on him completely and hobbling alongside him down the length of the rock face. She could already feel the cold seeping into her. God she hated snow. She'd take global warming any day.

They walked together through the deep snow, shivering uncontrollably. They clung to each other as the snow fell harder and the wind howled. It was a white out. P.A.'s teeth chattered and she wrapped both arms around Edward's neck. She was so cold...

"Look! A cave!" Ed cried suddenly, pulling her towards the cliff side. Slowly, they stumbled up the side towards the cliff wall. P.A. nearly cried out in relief at seeing the small crack in the wall. Salvation! Not only for her self, but for Edward. His lips were starting to turn blue.

They stumbled through the small fissure and out of the harsh weather. Moving a little farther in, it widened out into a full cave. At the back there was another opening, leading into further darkness. They both stumbled into a wall and slid down, shivering and stuttering words to comfort each other. It wasn't much warmer inside the cave than outside... they both knew they were probably going to freeze to death.

"E-Edward..." P.A. managed through her chattering teeth. "We need to make a fire or s-s-something... You're freezing."

"I-It's my automail... it tends to sap my heat in c-c-cold weather." He gave a shudder and closed his eyes.

"I'm gonna go see if there's anything in here we can burn..." P.A. whispered, slipping off her sweater jacket and draping it across him.

"You can't even walk..." He snapped, watching her stand with the support of the wall. She was only wearing a tank top now, less clothing than he was. "And you're freezing too."

"I will _not_ let _you_ freeze to death!" She stated in determination, hobbling deeper into the cave. She tapped night vision on and looked around. Creepy. Looking around slowly, she continued farther. She was getting uneasy. What if she got lost? What if she fell into a bottomless pit and Edward was left all alone? What if Edward died before she got a fire going!

She screamed and tripped over something, groaning as it jarred her wounds even more. She cursed and looked to see what she tripped over and saw... a twig. "DAMN YOU TWIGS!"

Wait... a twig. She looked around and saw a nest of some kind. An animal must have used this cave... Picking up one of the branches she grinned. They were old and dry. Whatever had used them had left a long time ago. They'd be perfect for a fire! Now how to get them back...

"You're alright!"

She screamed again and whipped around to stare up at Edward. He looked like he ran the entire way there. She growled and stared angrily at him. "You moron! You shouldn't be running around in the dark!"

Edward fell to his knees and wrapped his arm around her neck, hugging her tightly. "You're the stupid one... You screamed and I thought you were hurt or dead or something..."

P.A. blinked and her eyes softened. Wrapping her arms around him she chuckled dryly and muttered, "Me? Die? Never... I have to take care of you, Edward. It's my goal in life to make you tall."

"Only you could make a height joke at a time like this..." Edward mumbled. Truth was he was afraid to die alone. P.A. had become somewhat a friend over the short time she's been in his company and he had grown use to their constant bickering and her weird games. If he was going to die tonight he wanted to at least have P.A. by his side to the very end.

"Too true. Look! I found wood!" She said, releasing him and pointing to the wood. "We're saved!"

Edward smiled broadly and laughed.

&&&

P.A. poked the crackling fire and lounged back next to Edward, pulling her sweater up to blanket them both. She gave a sigh and remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Truth or Dare, Edo?"

"Is this another one of your stupid games?" He asked sleepily, looking over at her.

"Yes it is. Truth or Dare?" She asked in a demanding voice, poking his arm. "Wheedle..." Poke. "Wheedle..." Poke poke. "Wheedle wheedle wheedle wheedle wheedle-"

"Stop that!" He snapped, batting her hand away. He lay back for a few moments and then answered. "Truth."

"What happened to your leg and arm?" She asked, looking at him warily. She was sailing into treacherous waters, she knew, but she just had to know.

Edward locked eyes with her before turning his gaze into the sparkling flames. Hesitantly, he started to relate the tale of his mother's death and their endeavor to bring her back to life using alchemy. He told about how he had lost his leg and Al's lost body. He told her how he sacrificed his arm to bind his brother's soul to the armor. He told her... _everything_. Throughout the entire tale his friend remained silent, hardly even blinking. Once he reached the end, he looked over at her, waiting for her to say something.

"I'm..." She trailed off and bit her lip. After a few moments she sighed and started again. "I'm impressed."

He blinked. Of all the responses he hadn't expected that one. "Impressed?"

"With your determination... Your _drive_." She exclaimed. "I can't say I've met someone who can tell me they've experienced such a thing and still have the will to live."

"Thanks..." He looked down and smiled softly before grinning over at her in challenge. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth. Ask me anything!" P.A. chirped. "Well, just not what is your middle name."

Ed blinked. "What is your middle name..."?

"Ana Marie. My turn!"

"H-hey! That's cheating!" Ed cried angrily, pointing at her.

"I know!" She started to cackle evilly. "Behold my brilliance! BEHOLD IT!"

Edward growled and crossed his arms. "Fine..."

"You're not beholding!"

"It's your turn!" Ed screamed.

P.A. pouted and twiddled her thumbs. "Fine... Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to never reveal our moment back in the caves." P.A. said, grinning over at him, amusement sparkling in her eyes.

The boy returned the look and snickered. "Deal. Truth or Dare?" He quickly added, "Don't cheat this time!"

"Alright, alright... Truth." P.A. muttered in disappointment.

"Why were you really on that train we met on?"

P.A. sighed and grinned over at him dryly. "To tell you the truth, it really was an accident... And you probably won't believe me anyways."

"Tell me. I told you about myself." Ed coaxed, poking her. "Wheedle! Wheedle!"

She slapped his hand away and laughed. "I'm such a bad influence... Ok. Here's the whole story." She launched into a dramatic retelling of her acquisition of Todd, their rebellion in 2931, what a Rip Bangle was, and their attack. When she got to the part where she told about tearing dimensions down, Edward started to get a disbelieving look on his face. It seemed so... out of this world. In truth it really _was_ out of this world.

"You expect me to believe that...?" He asked slowly.

Hurt flashed in her eyes briefly before she gave a swift nod. "I know it's insane but it's all true... That man we fought was also from my dimension..." She looked down at her hands and growled. "I have to catch him... I have to get that bracelet of his..." Her fists clenched and she shook slightly. "I _have _to..."

Edward was sure she was going to cry and gulped loudly. He didn't know how to handle hysterical girls. Winry throwing wrenches at him was hard enough as it was... P.A. was armed and far more dangerous. He nearly jumped when she looked at him with a wide smile and gave a shaky one in return.

"Thanks for listening. Felt good to get that out in the open. Truth or Dare?"

"We're still playing your stupid game?" The short teen asked in astonishment.

"Of course. Just because we had another moment doesn't mean the game is over. Now choose. Choose or DIE!" She screamed, pointing at him. Since they were sitting so close together he had to lean back or risk losing his eye.

"Fine! Dare!" He snapped, swatting her hand away and giving her a confident look.

"When you get back to Central, I dare you to dance into Roy's office throwing flowers and singing 'I'm so Pretty' at the top of your lungs."

"..." He gave her a dumbfounded look, certain he misheard that sentence somehow.

"I'm dead serious, Ed."

"And if I don't...?"

"Then you're honor will be forfeit and you'll have to run through the streets of this town naked."

"..."

"Stop looking at me as if you think I'm joking, damnit!"

"You always ruin our moments..." Edward grumbled, rolling over and away from her and closing his eyes.

"Awww... spoiled sport."

"Goodnight, P.A..."

"Nighty. Night night. Nightaroo. Nightums-"

"Go to sleep."

"Okie dokey."

&&&

Sunlight crept over the forest outside the cave, illuminating the freshly fallen snow. The storm had broken at dawn, leaving nothing but calm silence. Edward blinked awake slowly and yawned. He shivered and snuggled deeper under the blanket that covered him. When he felt someone shift next to him, however, he sat up with a yell, getting ready to beat the pervert's brains in.

P.A. opened a weary eye and looked up at him before grumbling something about "angry kittens" and rolling over, taking the sweater with her. Edward blinked and realized exactly where he was. That's right, he thought slowly, they had taken refuge in a cave for the storm and played Truth or Dare. His face flushed as he remembered the last dare of the night. Damnit...

"P.A... Get up." Ed muttered, shaking her. "We need to go back to the village."

"Armadillos..."

"...What? Come on! Wake up!" Edward demanded, giving her a shove.

"Stop pushing me!" She yelled, sitting up and punching him. She opened her eyes and blinked down at the dizzy boy. "Ohmygod!" She covered her mouth with her hands and stared down at him, wide-eyed.

"Why you...!" He jumped up and tackled her. Who cares if he could only use one arm? It was about time he got her back!

"P.A...Edward..." A soft call came before fading in the wind.

Both teens froze and looked around. When the call came again, louder than before, they both jumped to their feet, albeit P.A. jumped a little more slowly.

"It's the Wendigo!" The girl screamed, waving her arms and glomping onto Edward. "Don't heed the call, Ed!"

"The... What are you talking about?" The golden-eyed teen demanded, trying to pry her off.

She let go of him and stared at him incredulously. "You've never heard of the Wendigo... Were you a sheltered child?"

The call came again, much louder than earlier. Both kids froze and looked at each other. The "Wendigo" sounded suspiciously like a certain suit of armor they both knew...

"AL!" They both screamed, scrambling to get out of the cave. Edward stopped halfway out and turned around to let P.A. lean on him again before exiting. They slipped down the snowy slope, trying to find out where the call came from.

"I think it came from that way!" P.A. said, pointing farther up along the stretch of rock wall.

"No! It came from that way!" Edward snapped, pointing the way they came from last night. They glared at each other angrily. It was if last night hadn't even happened...

"FREAK!"

"SHORTY!"

"WENCH!"

"BRAT!"

"P.A! Edward! Al, there they are!" Both teens blinked and their eyes swung around to land on a familiar blonde robot running towards them from the forest. Both didn't have time to be sheepish about screaming at each other before Al was seen running with him, along with half the village.

"Todd!" P.A. yelled, breaking away from Edward and hopping down the rest of the slope. Near the bottom her leg finally gave out and she fell, but Todd was waiting with open arms. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and buried her face into his neck. "Todd! You're alright..."

"My tracking system was damaged in the blast..." He whispered, hugging her tightly. "Damien truly made sure no one would find us..."

"And Damien himself?" She questioned in the same hushed tone, running her hand through his hair. To others it looked as if they were whispering words of comfort, but they were actually having a very important meeting.

"Disappeared. I'm positive he's still somewhere in this world though... I somewhat humiliated him last night..." She heard him chuckled in her ear. "A man's pride will not go un-avenged..."

"Great... We'll get home yet, Todd." P.A. gave him another tight squeeze and pulled back slightly. "Edward knows."

Todd didn't have to ask to know what Edward finally knew. The android looked over at the brothers. The two were reuniting in the same fashion as they were, except Edward's eyes were on them, filled with even more curiosity than before, but also with more understanding.

"I'm glad you two are alright." P.A. looked over at the man who had spoken. She recognized him as William from the night before. "We've been searching all morning. Mrs. Winchester is especially worried."

"I'm comin', GRANNY!" P.A. yelled, leaning on Todd as she hobbled after the departing villagers. Then it sort of dawned on her. "Hey wait... How did you humiliate him last night?"

Todd looked around to make sure no one was watching and took off his jacket, slinging it around them both. "When Kenkou created me, my sole purpose was to protect you from danger. If I should fail my mission, I was to...compensate your loss." He held out his hand, which glowed and transformed into a large blaster cannon.

P.A. stared in shock as it returned to its normal hand shape and laughed. "When Kenkou said 'kind of' a weapon he musta meant 'one hell ova destructive android'... I'm dully impressed. But this kind of means you told Al about us too, didn't you?"

"Yes. It was kind of hard to explain off why my arm turned into a weapon of mass destruction and blasted off a good chunk of mountain..."

"We suck at being discrete."

"Yep."

&&&

"Oh you poor things!" Granny said, bustling about them in the sitting room. "Spending the night in that awful blizzard!" Due to her mothering, both P.A. and Edward were under three blankets each with bowls of soup and hot tea. Not that they were necessarily complaining...

"We were _fine_, Granny." P.A. whined, sipping her tea.

"I know you were, dear, because you came back in one piece." Grandma Winchester said, checking the splint on the girl's ankle and then Edward's sling for his automail arm. "You're lucky you didn't die in a fall like that."

"Yeah. But we're pretty hard to kill." P.A. chirped, nudging Edward and receiving a small nudge back. They ate their soup in silence for a few minutes before P.A. giggled.

"What?" Ed demanded, looking over.

"I'm so pretty! Oh so pretty! I'm so pretty and witty and GAY!"

"Shut up, you jerk!"

The other three in the room exchanged glances, not exactly knowing what just took place. When they asked what the two kids had done all night, they were very vague on the subject. All they would say was they played a game to pass the time. Now, every five minutes P.A. would burst out into the same song and Edward would get angry and yell at her. Todd shrugged it off as her normal insanity.

"I'm going to go prepare some baths for you two. Would you assist me, Todd?" Mrs. Winchester asked.

"Of course. Come on, Al. I'll explain to you a bit more on the workings of my technology." The android said happily. He was glad he actually had someone to talk to about his inner components.

"Ok! I'll be right back, Ed."

"Ok see you, Al." Edward answered, watching them leave before returning his gaze to the fire. "I'm leaving tomorrow for Resembool... To get my arm fixed."

"Is Resembool your hometown?" P.A. asked, crossing her arms and resting them on her bent knees.

"Yeah... Then I'm gonna come back here and wait for your ankle to heal and then we can go look for Damien." Edward declared.

"No."

"What! You can't seriously think-"He was cut off when P.A. held up a hand for his silence.

"Edward... You and I both have our problems and it would be selfish of me to tear you away from your own journey to help me in my own." She sighed and grinned sadly. "When you leave tomorrow, you won't come back here."

"You can't just order me around like-" He was once again cut off again.

"I know... But now I'm asking you." P.A. said, smiling at him. "I'm asking you, as a friend, to continue on your quest for that stone. I'm going to continue on my search for Damien."

Edward sighed and leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes. She was right. They both had things they needed to do and it would be self-centered to force one another to forget them. He was actually starting to enjoy her company too... "Fine."

"Good answer. Don't worry. If I hear anything about your stone, I'll find a way to contact you." P.A. joked. "Even if I have to use pigeons."

Edward chuckled and nodded. "I'll try and tell you if I hear anything about Damien."

P.A.'s head plopped down onto his shoulder and they sat there, watching the flames crackle in the grate. They had once again come to an understanding of each other. They both wished to help the other in their quests but knew it couldn't be done if they were both to achieve their rewards at the end. Edward vaguely knew that once P.A. caught Damien, she would leave this dimension and return to her own. That thought pained him because she was one of the few who truly understood him.

"... I feel pretty! Oh so pretty!"

"SHUT UP!"

Or perhaps she just understood how to annoy him...

&&&

The next day, Edward woke early with his brother to go to the train station. He had planned to sneak out without P.A. or Todd noticing so they wouldn't have a long goodbye, but when he arrived at the train station the two were sitting with Granny on a bench, clearly waiting for them.

"Thought you could escape me, eh?" P.A. asked, climbing to her feet and grabbing her makeshift crutch.

Edward gave her a sheepish grin. "Well yeah... Why are you all here?"

"To give you a proper send off, dear." Mrs. Winchester said, standing and handing Al a large package. "P.A. and I made you a nice little breakfast since she told me how much you hate missing it."

"Yeah, muffin stealer."

"You _gave_ me those muffins!" Ed yelled in outrage, squawking when a package was shoved into his arms as well. "What's this?"

"Something from me and Todd. Don't open it until you're out of sight from the station though." She said, giving him a bright smile. "It's a surprise."

"Oh... Thank you... all of you." Edward said, smiling back at her.

Todd bowed slightly and grinned. "May our paths cross in the future, my friends."

Al bowed to him and nodded. "I hope so."

"Bye, Edward." P.A. whispered, giving him a hug and stepping back next to the others. "See you, Al!"

Edward looked down, blushing slightly before getting on the train with his brother. He quickly sat near the window and opened it, leaning out. The train whistle blew and they started moving away from the snowy little village. He watched the platform where his new friends stood, waving until they were little specks in the distance. He already missed them.

"Big brother, why don't you see what P.A. and Todd gave you." Al suggested as Ed brought his head back in the window and closed it.

"Yeah. I wonder what she could have possibly given me." Ed mused, opening the box and looking in. He felt his heart wrench as he pulled out a circle of string, the same one they played cat's cradle on. He set that in his lap and pulled out another item. It was a pack of freshly baked muffins. He quickly dug around and gasped. Sitting back, he turned over the broken Rip Bangle in his hands. She had actually given him...

"Brother... is something the matter?" Al whispered. "Your eyes..."

Ed quickly rubbed his eyes, muttering, "Nothing... something in my eye..."

Al looked in the box and pointed to the bottom. "There's one more thing in there." The older Elric quickly scrambled over and looked in. He twitched slightly and all tears disappeared from his eyes as he started to tremble. Al looked alarmed and backed away. "Brother... Please... don't..."

"THAT BITCH!" Edward screamed, waving his arms around crazily in his rage.

Sitting at the bottom of the box was a bottle of milk with a small note saying, "Drink this and achieve my life goal. Thinkin' of ya! —P.A."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

P.A.: Woo! That took about five days to complete. This was all based off a dream I had. It never was supposed to get this long... I was just too lazy to do chapters. There _will_ be a sequel to this though. I mean... I can't leave it there, now can I? The next one continues P.A.'s journey with Todd to find Damien and make it back to her own dimension. There _may_ be a third one after that.

I would really appreciate reviews and constructive criticism.


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